Leticia Smith is originally from Mexico City and has lived in Austin, Texas since 1986. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) with a Minor in Marketing from Texas State University and an Accelerated Learning certificate from the University of Houston.

At the university’s Spanish Department, she worked as an Instructor’s Assistant and acquired invaluable experience teaching and tutoring Spanish as a second language. In 1993, she started teaching children of all grades at several elementary schools. She soon discovered that her true vocation was to teach and inspire others to put joy into learning. In 1998, she left her teaching position to dedicate her time to the development of her award-winning program, Risas y Sonrisas Spanish for Kids.

Today, schools and homeschools all over the country and around the world are following the Spanish teaching program she started many years ago. Risas y Sonrisas has won many prestigious awards, and its accomplishments and successes have been cited in newspaper articles and broadcast media. Public schools, private schools, homeschool groups, and tutoring businesses in the United States and around the world are enriching their Spanish-language classes for kids with Risas y Sonrisas – “Laughter and Smiles.”

Awards & Recognition